Authorities in Tell City say a 2-year-old boy was found dead inside his family’s home last week, and two adults are now facing murder and child-neglect charges in a case investigators describe as especially disturbing. First responders reported the child was severely malnourished and covered in sores when they arrived, and two other children were later removed from the home. Police affidavits and coroner findings state the toddler may have eaten drywall and diaper material in a desperate attempt to stay alive.
Officers were called about an unresponsive child around 1:19 p.m. on March 31 to a house on Guttenberg Lane. Tell City police say the boy’s mother brought him downstairs before the 911 call, according to WFIE. First responders performed CPR, but the child, identified as 2-year-old Erik Reichard, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say the couple told officers they had not seen Erik alive for more than 14 hours before the call.
Autopsy and Home Conditions
An autopsy and search-warrant affidavit show material in Erik’s digestive system consistent with drywall, paint chips or spackling, along with diaper material. Investigators say he weighed roughly 15 pounds, about half the expected weight for a child his age, per WKRC. Police described filthy conditions inside the house, including feces on bedroom floors, drywall and paint chips scattered around, insects and a training potty left full of human waste, which authorities say led to the removal of the other children from the residence.
Charges and Court Steps
Tell City Police arrested 39-year-old Trevor Reichard-Hayes and 31-year-old Katherine Carter. Both are booked on murder and multiple counts of neglect, authorities say, per WJTS. Court records and local reporting say both are being held in the Perry County Detention Center and that an initial hearing is set for Tuesday at 10:15 a.m., according to WYMT.
Context
Child-neglect prosecutions and infant deaths have been a recurring concern in southern Indiana. Last year, a Perry County case ended with a sentence after a 9-month-old died from neglect, illustrating how prosecutors sometimes pursue serious penalties in similar situations, according to a 2025 report by WFIE. The Tell City investigation is being handled jointly by local police, the Perry County coroner, prosecutors and the Indiana Department of Child Services as detectives work through court and coroner procedures.
Police say the investigation remains active and that no additional information will be released while detectives and the coroner complete their work. Court filings and DCS actions are expected to be the next key developments as the case moves through the local system.
